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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26739808">Love and Family</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Superhero_Obsessed21/pseuds/Superhero_Obsessed21'>Superhero_Obsessed21</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Flash (TV 2014)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Care, Common Cold, Coughing, F/M, Fever, Flu, Fluff, Love, Married Barry Allen/Iris West, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Sick Barry Allen, Sick Character, Sickfic, Sneezing, West-Allen - Freeform</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 10:42:41</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,442</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26739808</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Superhero_Obsessed21/pseuds/Superhero_Obsessed21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Barry’s hadn’t felt well all day, but he won’t give into it, at least until Iris finds out. It doesn’t take much for her to convince her stubborn husband to go home and rest, something Caitlin had been trying to get him to do all day.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Barry Allen/Iris West</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>32</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Love and Family</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This is just a fluffy West-Allen sickfic. Barry and Iris are the main characters, the other characters are minor.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Hey baby!”, Iris had just entered the cortex. She was there to meet Barry for date night. Currently he was reviewing something on one of the computers against the back wall. </p>
<p>He cleared his throat, “Hi.”, he smiled</p>
<p>She went to kiss him on the lips but he pulled away. “What’s the matter?”, Iris knew right away that something wasn’t right.</p>
<p>“I’m not feeling great, and I don’t want you to catch anything.”</p>
<p>“You don’t feel well?”, she asked sounding surprised. “What about your healing powers?”</p>
<p>“Whatever this virus is, has caused them to stall.”</p>
<p>“I don’t know Barr.”, Caitlin had just emerged from her lab.</p>
<p>“You don’t know what’s wrong with him?”, Iris asked. </p>
<p>Barry had just turned, coughing into his arm. Caitlin moved closer, gently rubbing over his back. </p>
<p>“Not yet, but he needs to either lay down here or go home and do the same.”, Iris could tell that wasn’t the first time she had instructed him to do so. </p>
<p>“That sounds terrible man.”, Cisco looked up over the computer he had been working at. </p>
<p>Barry groaned, his hand on his chest from the pain the coughing was causing. “It feels terrible too.”, he sounded awful.</p>
<p>Caitlin sighed, “I want to take one more look at you before you leave tonight.”</p>
<p>“I’m ready now. We’re going to dinner tonight.”, his eyes were watering from the coughing and the pain. </p>
<p>“No we’re not Barry!”, Iris was going to make sure he went home to rest. “Date night can wait.”</p>
<p>“Yeah, I guess it should.”, he admitted. </p>
<p>Caitlin did a quick work up on Barry. She took some more blood and also initiated a few more tests. When she finished he laid on the examination bed looking terrible until she returned to the room. </p>
<p>“Well, I don’t hear any pneumonia in your lungs, but you are awfully congested. You have a low grade fever, and your other vitals are a little elevated, but they’re not too bad. I should have more results in an hour or two from the other tests I just took. I’ll let you know when I do. Other than that, I just don’t know Barr. Hopefully rest tonight and you’ll feel better tomorrow.”</p>
<p>Iris should have stopped him, and he should have known better anyway, but Barry ran them home, which was a big mistake. When they entered the loft he was coughing so hard that he got extremely dizzy, and almost fell over. When the coughing let up some, Iris walked with him over to the couch. He was still wobbly, and she didn’t want him to fall and crack his skull open. </p>
<p>A sick speedster was bad enough, she didn’t want an injured one too. </p>
<p>“I’ll grab you something comfortable to change into and then I’ll heat something up for dinner.” </p>
<p>She could hear him wheeze when he tried to catch his breath. She trusted Caitlin of course, and she hoped that Caitlin was right, and that maybe this sickness wouldn’t last that long, and that rest was what he really needed, but she couldn’t help but to really worry about why his healing powers weren’t working like they should have been. </p>
<p>Barry laid down while Iris was upstairs. He felt worse now than he had all day. </p>
<p>He was about to sit up as Iris approached but she motioned him to stay down. She took a seat beside him, her hand going to his forehead. “You’re really hot now Barr.”</p>
<p>“I feel worse.”, he choked out. </p>
<p>“You shouldn’t have run us home.”</p>
<p>He placed his forearm on his forehead. “I know.”, he sounded terribly congested. </p>
<p>“Open up.”, she gently stuck the thermometer under his tongue. Neither of them were sick very often, so the only instrument to take someone’s temperature in the house was an old fashioned mercury thermometer. So while they waited for a few minutes to pass, she softly rubbed his chest. </p>
<p>“102.4”, Iris looked at the thermometer and then back up at him. Her hand moving his sweaty bangs from his eyes.</p>
<p>“Are you hungry?”</p>
<p>He was, so that relaxed her a little bit. </p>
<p>“I’ll heat up some of dad’s soup. Does that sound good?”</p>
<p>“Sounds perfect.”, his small smile melted her. She hadn’t seen him under the weather like this in ages.</p>
<p>Once Iris left his side, he sat up and changed into his sleep clothes, and then quickly laid back down. His head, throat and chest hurt, and he ached all over. </p>
<p>While Iris was getting dinner ready her phone started to buzz.</p>
<p>“It’s the flu Iris. I just got the results from his last test. I had run this test two other times today and it had come back negative. It seems his powers were actually holding the illness off until it finally overpowered them.”</p>
<p>That was good news in a way. The flu was something they understood. The Illness wasn’t meta born thankfully. </p>
<p>“Lots of rest and lots of fluids. If you need me don’t hesitate.”, Caitlin said.</p>
<p>That still didn’t really explain why the flu had caused his healing powers to stall, but right now the most important thing was to get some nourishment into him. </p>
<p>Iris entered the living room and she sat next to him again. “Do you want to eat in here?”</p>
<p>“Yeah that’s a good idea.” He sat up and Iris brought the soup back to him on a tray. Almost as soon as she put it down the doorbell rang. </p>
<p>“Who could that be?”, Barry shrugged his shoulders, he was already eating. Even the flu didn’t stop his appetite. </p>
<p>“Dad! What are you doing here?” Joe had a grocery bag in his arms filled to the top.</p>
<p>“I stopped by Star Labs to talk to Barry”</p>
<p>“And Caitlin told you he was sick.”, Iris finished Joe’s sentence.</p>
<p>“Yeah, is he ok?”</p>
<p>“He’s not feeling well, but he’s eating in the living room.” Joe handed her the bag and his coat, and then he headed right over to Barry. </p>
<p>“Hey Barr.”, Barry had just finished his bowl of soup and was currently blowing his nose. </p>
<p>“Not feeling well son?”</p>
<p>“Not so great.” He started to cough really hard again. </p>
<p>“I brought some medicine from Caitlin, and some that I picked up at the store. I’ll be right back.” </p>
<p>Iris had already unpacked the bag and was currently pouring Barry a glass of OJ. </p>
<p>There was a plastic bag with a bottle of pills and a note inside. </p>
<p>“He should take one of these now and then again before bed.”</p>
<p>“Speedster medication.”, she couldn’t help but to admire Caitlin’s persistence when it came to caring for Barry. </p>
<p>“Is that the right stuff?”, Joe asked.</p>
<p>“It’s perfect dad.”, she smiled. </p>
<p>She wondered if the over the counter medication would have any affect on him, but she knew it wouldn’t hurt to try it, and her dad had gone out of his way to get it for him. She didn’t want to make him feel bad. </p>
<p>Joe followed Iris back into the living room.</p>
<p>“Caitlin sent these. You need to take one now and then one before you go to sleep tonight.“</p>
<p>He took it without question.</p>
<p>She opened the flu medicine and handed Barry the nighttime pills. </p>
<p>“These should help your symptoms and help you get some rest.” It was only 7:00, and even as sick as he was, Iris knew he wouldn’t really let himself fall asleep without a little bit of help. </p>
<p>“Caitlin said you have the flu so I figured those would work the best.”, Joe said.</p>
<p>“I have the flu?”, Barry asked right before swallowing the pills. </p>
<p>“I’m sorry Barr. I received the text from Caitlin while I was warming dinner.”</p>
<p>“It’s fine. At least we know now.”, Barry said before another coughing fit took hold. </p>
<p>Joe stood there feeling helpless while Iris sat down beside him, rubbing his back. When the coughing stopped and his breathing evened out, he laid back down and Iris grabbed a blanket from the closet nearby so she could cover him up. </p>
<p>“Try to take a nap.”, she felt his forehead. “Hopefully the medicine will help with the fever too.”</p>
<p>Joe had moved back to the kitchen and taken a seat at the counter. Just watching the scene play out in the living room made him feel uneasy. Barry shouldn’t have been sick at all and he knew that. </p>
<p>When Iris was sure Barry was warm enough, comfortable, and drowsy, she left his side and walked out to Joe. She placed her hands on his shoulders. “Thanks dad! The medicine seems to be helping him rest.”</p>
<p>Joe looked over, Barry’s eyes had closed and he looked to have fallen asleep.</p>
<p>“He’s really sick.”, Joe said concerned. </p>
<p>“I know dad. Hopefully this is the worst of it and after some rest he’ll start to feel better.”</p>
<p>“Don’t let him put on that suit Iris!”</p>
<p>“I don’t think he’d try to go out like this dad, but I’ll make sure he doesn’t.”, she assured.</p>
<p>“I’ll drop some more soup by tomorrow, and I’ll put him in for a sick day. Even if he feels better tomorrow he should stay home and rest.”</p>
<p>“I’m sure he would appreciate both of those things dad, especially the food. You know how much he loves your soup.”</p>
<p>Joe smiled. Barry had always loved his cooking.</p>
<p>She walked Joe to the door. </p>
<p>“Thank you dad!”, she gave him a big hug before he left. </p>
<p>“Of course baby.”</p>
<p>Barry started to cough right as she finished locking the door. </p>
<p>Iris?”, he sounded out of breath. </p>
<p>She sat down next to him again, and laid her hand on his chest. “Are you ok?”</p>
<p>“Did Joe bring over any of that vapor stuff?”</p>
<p>“Of course he did.”, she sounded a bit sarcastic. Barry knew Joe always overdid everything he did for them, but they both loved him for it. </p>
<p>While she opened the jar Barry removed his shirt.</p>
<p>“You look a little better. Do you feel any better?”</p>
<p>“A little bit. I think the run home just did me in.”</p>
<p>He coughed again, but it wasn’t nearly as bad as it was an hour ago. </p>
<p>“That already sounds better.”</p>
<p>“Caitlin’s cough medicine.”, he smiled. </p>
<p>“Is that what that was?”</p>
<p>“She was trying to get me to take it all day, but she said they would make me drowsy so I refused.”</p>
<p>“What am I going to do with you Mr. Allen?”</p>
<p>“I’m sure Caitlin could help you figure out that one.”, he laid his head back down on the pillow.</p>
<p>Iris gently massaged the medicine into his chest and his neck </p>
<p>He took a deep breath. “It’s hard to breath.”<br/>
His nose was all red and sore looking too. </p>
<p>Sure enough Joe had also included some Vaseline in his care package. She grabbed the tube and had him apply the Vaseline to his nose and around his lips. </p>
<p>She felt his forehead once more, he was already cooling down some. She hoped that meant his speed healing had recovered from whatever had caused it to stall. </p>
<p>“Are you good here for a while or do you want to go get comfortable in bed?”</p>
<p>“I’m comfortable here for now.”</p>
<p>“Ok. I’ll wake you when I’m ready to head up.”</p>
<p>It was about 11pm when the movie Iris was watching ended, and Barry was sleeping soundly. Just looking at him she knew he was on the mend. He wasn’t sweaty anymore, and he even had some color back in his cheeks. She could still here congestion though, so she grabbed the medicine before she woke him up. </p>
<p>“Hey.”, she smiled when he opened his eyes.”</p>
<p>“Hey.”, he smiled back.</p>
<p>“How do you feel?”</p>
<p>“Much better than earlier.”, he confirmed. </p>
<p>“That’s good. Are you ready to head upstairs?” He sat up slowly. “Do we have anymore soup?”</p>
<p>She should have woken him up sooner. Of course he was extra hungry now. </p>
<p>“We do. Just give me a few minutes.”</p>
<p>“I’ll get it.”, he stood up to quickly, his head started to spin and before Iris could even get a word out he was on the floor. Luckily the way he fell, his back was braced against the couch so he landed on his butt. He was out cold when Iris kneeled down beside him. She carefully pulled his body into hers. He opened his eyes a few seconds later, but he was still feeling dizzy, so she just held him there until he was ready. </p>
<p>“Sorry.”, he said softly.</p>
<p>“It’s ok. You just scared the hell out of me.”, Iris kissed his head. </p>
<p>When he was ready she helped him back onto the couch. </p>
<p>“I’m going to heat up the soup. You stay here.”, she was making light of the situation and he knew it. “Ok mom. I’ll be a good boy.”, they both laughed. </p>
<p>“Yup, he’s ok.”, she thought to herself.</p>
<p>He had two big bowls of soup before they headed upstairs. She could tell he still felt sick even though his symptoms had dissipated, so she made sure he took it slow as they moved up the stairs and into the bedroom. </p>
<p>Once he was tucked in, she handed him the thermometer. “I’ll be right back with some water so you can take some more medicine.”, he shook his head yes as he stuck the thermometer under his tongue. </p>
<p>“101.”, he said sounding disappointed. </p>
<p>“That’s good Barr. It’s much better that it’s going down rather than up.” </p>
<p>He knew she was right, if he didn’t have healing powers it’s likely it would have been climbing rather than falling. </p>
<p>She handed him one of the pills from Caitlin and more nighttime flu medicine. Once he had taken the medicine she rubbed some more of the vapor cream into his chest. This time the deep breath he took when she finished actually brought air into his lungs. </p>
<p>“Much better.”, he said letting the breath out.</p>
<p>“I’m glad.”, she smiled. </p>
<p>By the time Iris got back to the room after cleaning the medicine off of her hands, he was sound asleep again. When she laid down beside him she was happy to hear that his breathing didn’t sound labored anymore.  </p>
<p>She leaned over kissing him softly on his warm cheek before she turned the light off. </p>
<p>He was so stubborn sometimes, she couldn’t help but think it, looking at how much better he looked already. </p>
<p>She fell asleep feeling confident that when he woke up in the morning, he would feel much better, but if for some reason his healing powers stalled again, she would be there to help him feel better, she always would be.</p>
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